IVF / FET March/April 2022

[AliceAbsolum]

Thought I'd start a thread for those starting rounds in the next few months.

I'm 36. TTC for 6 years. This will be my 4th transfer. It's a double embryo FET in Cyprus.

Welcome welcome 😁

Rooting for your little embryo, @HJen22! If there is any unequivocally positive takeaway from this it's that it sounds like your team at the clinic really have your back and will fight for your fertility, which must be so reassuring moving forward, whatever the outcome of this cycle.

Welcome @Steph2345 :) seems like your EC is right around the corner. Exciting!

@Ems123456789 great news on your two eggs - will they give you updates before Saturday, or will they just let you know on the day of transfer whether both/one has developed to blast?

May I join? I’m just waiting for my period to start stims for my first round! Excited but I’m almost two weeks late and I think it is the pregnacare vitamins I have been taking 🙄

@SamTTC thank you so much :) everyone's kind words mean so much to me! And is really helping me process this crazy time!

You are so right, I really do feel like they want the best for us and our embryo and it really is giving me hope. I spilled my heart out to the poor nurse who was just meant to be giving me my pessaries too haha. I've not told anyone irl what's going on (but they know I had EC on Tuesday) as it's hard to keep up myself let alone tell my family, and everyone is so invested I don't see the point in worrying them or telling them anything as it so quickly changes!

How are you doing? Do you have your start date for FET next month?

@TerrazzoChips welcome to the group! Waiting for your period to arrive before starting is so annoying isn't it, I hope it appears asap and you can get started!

@HJen22 wow what a roller-coaster for you! So you just wait until they contact you again?

@AliceAbsolum yup just wait for another call tomorrow! I hope that the embryologist and Dr have a plan together tomorrow though now they've talked today so there doesn't need to be numerous calls between us. I'm struggling to string a sentence together today that makes sense I'm so tired haha. How are you feeling? X

@HJen22 thanks for your well wishes. I am glad the staff have been so reassuring for you. It’s so important at a time like this.

Thanks @SamTTC no update now until Saturday morning when they will ring me. They said that if both are progressing at the same rate then they will wait til Monday to see if 1 becomes a clear front runner but if it’s already obvious on Saturday then they will go ahead and transfer the better 1. I learn something every day with this process.

@Steph2345 welcome! Well done on your stims and wishing you luck with the days ahead.

@Ems123456789 so pleased for you. Come on little embryos!!!

@HJen22 what a rollercoaster. No wonder you are shattered. Sounds like there is still a good chance though and they have a plan!! Did they say when transfer would be?

@Steph2345 welcome!! And good luck for tomorrow!

@LT103 I'm not actually sure, the embryologist said he'd call tomorrow and Sunday and the Dr spoke about transfer but I don't know if he meant tomorrow or not. All very up in the air. I knew this bit would be really hard but I wasn't quite prepared for it to be so up and down. Each day we get further is a good thing but I'm also scared the further we get, the bigger the crash if we don't make it x

How are you feeling? Xx

@HJen22 not too bad. Last day of work tomorrow. I came home early today as it was quiet. Crampy and bloated and some hot flushes today but overall not too bad. I thought it would be worse. I still can’t see as far as egg collection but one day at a time!!

@LT103 that's great last day tomorrow and you can rest. Oh I had bad night sweats too and really clammy hands! I'm normally always cold too!

Stay positive, I was the same but you'll get there before you know it, you've got this x

Thanks for asking @HJen22 😊 I’m doing fine, my period is due towards the end of the month, and then I expect I’ll have a natural cycle transfer (as my clinic likes to start out as non-invasive as possible) so transfer should be around April 10th - if my cycle is regular, which it didn’t used to be, but the last six months it has been like clockwork 👀 watch this be the month where it’s like a week delayed haha.

My goal for this remaining monthish is to quit sugar (it’s SO DIFFICULT!!) and step up my exercise game. As I wrote earlier I got sick right after my transfer, I think with the flu going around, so I basically haven’t exercised since I started stims in the beginning of February. Want to put my body in the best state possible for these 2 frozen embryos I have waiting for me. But it’s hard when I tend to slack off on diet and exercise when I’m feeling sorry for myself…which I admit I have been doing more recently lol.

I’m also going to see my GP tomorrow to have a bacteria swab done. I want to rule out a bacterial imbalance as the potential reason why implantation has yet to occur for me. I feel very proactive hah - I absolutely hate having to go to the doctor with these issues so I’ve been putting it off for months!

I hope you manage to get a good sleep tonight! Remember to watch out for potential symptoms of OHSS, it’s not very likely to develop but it is possible.

@TerrazzoChips welcome :) ugh my period was delayed before starting my first IUI cycle too- typical isn’t it?? I imagine you must be so impatient! That’s one of the weird things about ttc…a new cycle means a new opportunity and that makes it strangely exciting.

@SamTTC oh that sounds good, does that involve any medication or do they just have to time things exact? I hope your cycle behaves and does start when you need it to!

Oh I fully get that; I went through phases of being like right I need to be healthy, eat loads of salmon, cut dairy etc and then I just thought "you're going through something tough; eat what you want" and did cos I was feeling sorry for myself too. So now I'm heavier than I'd like to be and the only exercise I do is walking the dog albeit she's a German shep so she does get lots of exercise. Sugar is so hard; I have such a sweet tooth! You'll get back into it, just takes a few sessions and days of being healthy! I'm just not very good at more than a few days haha. I lost some weight before the pill cos I knew people said it could cause weight gain, but put it all back on. We do need to give ourselves a bit of a break though, we really are going through a lot.

I am having the worst stomach pains and sorry tmi toilet visits tonight, I'm assuming it's the progesterone pessary. Either that or I didn't cook my chicken enough 😂 I am hoping this doesn't disturb tonight's sleep!

@HJen22 hopefully tomorrow is a new day and you get some positive news from the Dr! Xx
@SamTTC @LT103 and @Ems123456789 thank you for the welcome! Hope you are all doing ok and hanging in there xx

@HJen22 you have had a day of it but one things for sure that little embryo is a fighter!

@Ems123456789 thanks- I put a hot water bottle on before work and that eased it thank fully.
Fab news that 2 fertilised :)

@AliceAbsolum thats good to know thanks, I'm not sleeping well on stims but my appetite is also gone and I'm just reaching for junk- I want to exercise but I can't be bothered

@Willowtree35 welcome and sorry I have no experience of two lines but 2 lines is two lines- wait until Saturday and test again :)

@Steph2345 welcome, that's exciting :) good luck.

@TerrazzoChips welcome, my period decided to come a week late I think it knows for once you actually want it to come so it's playing with you 🤣. Drove me insane. Pushed all my dates out finally on day 3 stims.

@LT103 what day are you on? My cramps are getting worse after tonight injection it was almost instant. At the clinic Tuesday they actually asked me if I knew my Amh as it wasn't written downs I don't so worried me a little about Over stimulating.

@SamTTC mine went from erratic to regular and then was late while I was waiting- typically.

Super tired 😴 today x

@Brightertimesahead here you go :)

Everyone is super supportive and helpful and we are all at different stages and different meds but all rowing the same boat

Sad news, our wee embryo hasn't grown any. The embryologist said it would take a miracle but they'll keep an eye and I'll get another call on Sunday. He said the consultant said to tell me to keep taking pessaries and to reassure me this didn't class as one of our funded rounds.

I am trying to hold on to that it wasn't meant to be this time. Every step further we got gave me hope. The nightmare of the weekend prepared me mentally and has made me stronger I think. I also know so many others go through difficulties rounds and I am not alone. Our time will come x

Oh @HJen22 I’m sorry to hear that. It must be so reassuring to know it won’t count as one of the funded attempts and that they really won’t transfer it if it is not viable. But of course that doesn’t erase the sting of having gone through stims and retrieval to be here. I’m really crossing fingers for that miracle! When would you be able to go in for another EC, if you need to?

I’m so sorry @HJen22 you’ve done so well to get this far. Give yourself lots of rest and compassion and know that your time will come. It’s also okay to be sad and feel all the feelings. Sending lots of positive thoughts your way!

@SamTTC @Ems123456789 thank you so much for your kind words. I'm sad it didn't work out but we knew the chances were slim with just our one egg and then embryo. It put up a good fight and just wasn't strong enough in the end.

Yes I mean at one point I even said to my OH we can offer to pay for this round if we have to! Or even if it did use one of the three I'd have been ok with that. I just really hope the Dr does let us go again as it's always been a worry of mine. I did look into private though so we knew there were options.

At least now we know we can do it, mentally we got through stims and EC and my follicles did grow.

Thank you, we've accepted that it's the end and the embryologist was very honest (and lovely) which I appreciated. Trying to see the positives. Im really not sure how long it would be between cycles; I'd assume a few months at least xx

@HJen22 so sorry to hear this, so difficult to come this far and it not work out.
But I love how positive you are remaining and It's good that it's not counted so hopefully they can switch some things up next time and you can see this as a test run- so you'll be less anxious next time as you know what to expect.

Keep us posted on the next steps and we are all here if you need us.

@PMAmostofthetime Thank you lovely. It means a lot that everyone is so kind.

I hugged the dog and the tears came that I'd badly been trying to hold in and be strong but I know I need to let it out. I think I'm still a bit in shock it's come to an end after a long drawn out few days. But now we know the process and I did react ok enough I hope to stims. Trying to look forward and give myself a bit of a break; have that wine, enjoy life and not be in fear of the unknown. There is still so much unknown throughout the process but i think I'm stronger than I'd ever have believed. At the end of the day, when we have to be, we muddle through don't we. I may not remain as positive but I'm really going to try.

I will still be here to chat and follow your girls journeys as you have all been an amazing support and I want to give that back xx

@HJen22 oh no I’m really sorry to hear this. Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long until you can start the next cycle. Take some time for yourself to regroup and get ready for the next batch of injections. Xx

@HJen22 it's ok to grieve your lost Embryo- I know i would/will.

You also have a lot of hormones in you right now so it's ok to be slightly erratic or cry because it's raining or because your hungry and don't know what to eat. It's tough but we are all tougher.

Your allowed to be angry, frustrated and sad and your also allowed to enjoy that wine and make some plans for you.

Take care of yourself and do what's right for you.

Day 4 of stims today, 2 injections tonight.

I am soooo tired today and have had a headache and cramps.
I just want to sleep but I'm in work until at least 5 and then the annoying thing is I get restless sleep.

Is this normal will it settle? Glad it's the weekend.

@PMAmostofthetime yeah you do become invested in the embryo and sad when it doesn't do well. Thank you, think it will just take some time to process and I guess grieve this round.

I was the same with being knackered and then not sleeping well! It's so annoying! Try and keep off your phone right before bed, and meditation can help, oh and I spray my pillow with sleep spray. I hope you get to put your feet up this weekend and relax x